Folding sliding doors, initially the most popular style in the industrial door arena are currently beginning to contribute a large impact on new build houses, giving further opportunities for the flexibility of our houses. Originally, these openings were included in commercial buildings to make sure that the largest sized opening could be achieved. This ensured that the building was as versatile as possible and that multi use was not constrained. Buildings such as aircraft hangars, factories and ship yards made use of these openings as they permit large machinery to pass in and out, so why did these industrial doors begin the move into normal housing stock.
Although first rather industrial looking the opportunity for a smarter, more fashionable adaptation was always possible and designers wishing to incorporate striking design features noticed the potential. These doors make it possible for whole walls to “vanish” as they move back unnoticed to the sides of the doorway. This produces huge opportunities for the designers as they are able to include the feature on any large wall expanse and provide two entirely diverse feels. The view over the garden benefits from this kind of handling. The current trend is to design external living space and with these kinds of doors you can join perfectly the inside with the garden seamlessly. Frequently made of glass these doors add hugely to the look of many living spaces but there are drawbacks. When closed the doors are clearly built in panelled sections that fold back. These can look slightly ungainly, but manufacturers of good quality doors have done a great job in making the columns as innocuous as possible.
One other issue is privacy. These doors are difficult to handle in terms of blinds or curtains as they have such a large expanse. The addition of any curtaining can detract from the concept of merging the indoors with the outdoors. One thing to think about if opting for these industrial doors in your home is to include the internally glazed blinds, or the intelligent glass that can change from translucent to opaque at the touch of a button.












